TAWNY PORT

Aged Tawny Port

10, 20, 30 , 40 Years designation

Wood aged Ports are those which age entirely in cask or vat and are ready to drink when they are bottled. The port institute which regulates production specifies that the designated styles are 10, 20, 30 and 40 Year Old Tawny Ports.

The mellow, complex style of wood aged Port is due too ageing in small oak casks, generally holding about 630 litres. In a cask there is a relatively small volume of wine compared to the surface area of the vessel, so contact with the wood is proportionately greater. As it matures in cask, a Port gradually loses the deep red 'ruby' colour of youth and takes on the seductive amber hue known as 'tawny'. At the same time the wine becomes progressively smoother and mellower, its aromas gaining in richness and complexity.

As a tawny port spends more time in oak, its color starts to fade from ruby red to more ruby-orange or a "brick red," often reaching a deep amber or mahogany color by the time it's matured. As the aging process continues, a Tawny's taste will become nuttier and the flavors develop the rich flavors of caramelized figs, dates and prunes compared to the fresh fruit factors found in a Ruby Port.

On the label, the age is most commonly designated as 10, 20, 30 or 40 years. These year designations are the average compilation of various vintages used in the Tawny Port blend, not the exact years the wine has been aged as a whole.